Official Squatch Watchers

[Smuvers Farm]

Gnight kiddo. I'll talk to the trees for you tomorrow.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Thanks Smuv! Mother Nature is watering my plants tonight so i don't have to! She rocks!

 

[Anansi]

I'm sorry about your polish lady, Cappy, you did what was best for her.

 

[Anansi]

Okie dokie, coffee and hot water are going, and breakfast is continental style. See y'all later.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning everyone! Today is my first day off since last Monday. I'm so glad I can leave my work computer off today. The Milk Drinker slept pretty well, but didn't go to bed until after midnight last night and woke at 8 this morning.

We are now getting 30+ eggs a day! I knew we'd be swimming in eggs soon since we have 44 laying age hens/pullets, but the spring glut is already upon us. I've been looking into ways of preserving the eggs and stumbled on using lime water (water glassing) to preserve them into the winter months. We are also going to start selling eggs soon. I need to work on getting a permit and an egg refrigerator. We keep eggs for our own consumption in the pantry, unwashed. That doesn't work if we are going to sell them.

I have a wine fridge that I'm going to use for mine.

I know it depends on the state what you need to do to sell eggs but I don’t wash mine. There is a note on them staying they are not washed and why. Some places have no regulations if you sell them from your yard. But want to check things out if you go to a farmers market or provide for a store.

The rules can get pretty complicated and widely varied state to state. Here in TN you're not required to wash them, but there can't be anything on the shell and they must be refrigerated and in a new carton.

Most of our snow is gone, except on the north side of stuff where the sun never touches. I was stunned how quickly everything from last week melted. *Supposedly* the weather lady this morning said we're to get trace- 1/2" here overnight tonight. We'll see, they're usually really wrong, one way or the other.
View attachment 1302339

We were supposed to get golf ball sized hail and tornadoes last night, but it completely missed us.

I have to wonder if people actually read the question they're answering before they answer it or if they just spout out a whole bunch of unrelated crap just to be doing it. Sorry if that sounds awful, but you know you've all wonderd the same exact thing.

I certainly have. Go to greet a new person and read a post and wonder why it's there.

I've done it a few times b/c the person's headline was misleading. There was one that said 'what kind of chicks are these?' and so I skipped over the whole long blah blah 'how I got the chicken' story and went straight to the pics which were clearly full grown sebrights & replied.. then I'm looking at the title and think what chicks, those are full grown chickens? For some reason the person posted pics of their other chickens then the last pic showed a few barely visible chicks w/ a sebright hen. SMH.. Of course, once I realized it I edited my answer to say we need pics of the chicks. I don't think they ever posted them.

It's amazing how long some folks take to return to their thread...

I am gonna get off here for the day.

Been all tatered off due to a thread about a hawk attack and the OP stated they have no run.

But they LIKE to be free in the yard blah blah blah.

It's a hard choice and not one you can make with few chickens. My birds have plenty of protection, but choose to leave that for "greener pastures." They hang out everywhere. As a result, I've lost a couple, but surprisingly few. The crows and turkeys seem to keep hawks at bay and the chickens and ducks seem to be able to out run/fly from fear bearing ones. Of course, when we see the latter we'll add a little lead to the equation...

I JUST HAD THE GREATEST IDEA IN THE HISTORY OF IDEAS

ON EASTER IN TWO WEEKS

DURING THE EASTER EGG HUNT



WE NEED TO HIDE EASTER EGGS IN THE CHICKEN COOP




*bows*

That would be so cute.

I’ve been reading one where the person has repeatedly been given the same advise by several well respected BYCers only to not follow it then ask more questions on how to help the chicken.

Got that T-shirt.

Here is my little fuzzy Pippins, at 4 days old! She's my first help-out, a frizzled BC, and is a moose compared to the Seramas! She is very sweet, and is currently nestled in my bewbs.
View attachment 1302486

I had 9 babies in all. Two BCs and 7 Seramas.

7 of 8 of my bator babies hatched. One, a BC, was peeping in the shell but never pipped.
Luna (Cemani broody) did not hatch any of the eggs under her. Two I brought in (one was pipping--as in little beak sticking out!-- while she was off the nest, and another was peeping in the shell. I incubated them and they lived.

There was one dead baby under Luna (from her eggs). After I saw that one I decided to bring any viable eggs inside and finish them, and so I did.

Two days ago, I slipped 2 Seramas under Luna. She is turning out to be a fantastic mom. Yesterday, I slipped the other BC under her. Luna may not have been able to hatch any, but she is a very good mother, fierce and protective! It melts my heart to see them.

Today, I am letting the Cemanis free range in the yard, and I opened up the pop door and closed the run so my little mom and babies can get some air and sunshine, and maybe come out! I am watching them carefully from my yoga room/baby chick room. So far she hasn't wandered off the nest.

I plucked the most gigantic monolith of a broody turd from the nest! I have never seen such a large chicken turd in my life! I should have snapped a picture....

Anyway that's the update on my first hatch adventure. When DH gets home I'll get him to snap some pics bc his camera is much better than mine (@Smuvers Farm, do NOT make fun of my phone!!! lol!)

@WVduckchick --so you can see your grandchicks' progress!

hoooo ray....

Oh nah, that's understandable! I'm talking about "helping" an incubators humidity get below 30 percent or "advising" new hatchers not to turn eggs even though the op had clearly stated the eggs were on day 13. Just overall not reading. I personally read things a couple of times just to be as clear as possible so I don't inadvertently ruin someone's day or because the person dosent write well. Like in this case the op had their humidity jacked waaay up for the first two weeks, finally got it down to 40ish percent and thought it needed lowering further. If op just lets it be at this point it might be ok and that's really all that was asked but answers to such a simple question got confusing very quickly.

I think too many folks are in such a hurry to be the first to respond that they often miss the point of the question. Can't tell you how many times I've wondered what "this answer" has to do with "This question." Then of course you have folks that are: you must do it my way or its wrong....

Ha ha ha on the poo. My little broody demon who refuses to give up sometimes poops little poops then I found what a swear was a dog poop! It was massive and stunk to high hell. I had to leave the coop level stink!

This weather needs to break or I might. The chicken dynamics of my flock are all out of wack! They need to go outside and be chickens.

B. Pudding is living up to her name for sure. She even attacked me today when I protected the hen she was beating on. Full on jump attack like a rooster. Yet watched her submit to one of the boys.

Sugar is so down in the pecking order she stays up on the roosts most of the time. I have food stations mounted on the walls to make sure low ranking hens get food. I’d do bowls of water too if it wouldn’t freeze.

Egg laying is beyond sporadic too. Gotten a few weird ones. Seems like most of my year old have decided they don’t want to lay any more. Go through first molt and now they are done.

They'll start up again... They're just taking their time.

I do love the purity of a good baby giggle.

He's pretty darn special to us long distance aunties Rae.

X2 & uncles....

Morning all

 

[MrsMistyReal]

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

@Smuvers Farm what about “ringleader” LOL

I sure hope so @rjohns39 . I’m not sure where my chickens went. These body snatchers that took their place need to go.

 

[Redhead Rae]

@CapricornFarm praying for you today.

UGH, I did not want to get up this morning. I am so doggone tired. I need my weekend back! Fortunately, the Milk Drinker did let me sleep most of the night (I think he woke up twice but went right back to sleep) I just need a day where I can sleep.

Maybe it's just the lack of breakfast and caffeine talking. I'm sure I'll feel better after I get those on board.

 

[staceyj]

I’m SWEATING from catching up here!

@CapricornFarm you might already be on the road for your appointment, but my thoughts and prayers are with you on so many levels today dear friend, (and I don’t mean the republican kind- i mean the most genuine, truly from my heart kind.) regardless of the outcome- you are one of the toughest gals I’ve ever met. (In the best way) YOU GOT THIS. And you have us.

@Rubysword thanks for being you.
You bring us youthful cheer every time you you pop in.

@Redhead Rae that little MD never fails to bring a smile to my face. Oh how I loved shadow play with my kids when they were little...
And long walks on crunchy paths...
Thank you for sharing him with us.

@pitbullmomma
I’m loving seeing how these chickbabies and being away from your job have healed your spirit.

@Smuvers Farm
So many points for you.
Buy topsoil in bulk and amend it yourself.
I’ve fooled around with the bagged stuff for three years now and it’s crap.
Last year was particularly bad, even the big name brands like “miraclegro”
Mostly uncomposted mulch.
Dismal garden year.

Jsyk - 1cubic yard of soil =
27 small bags of packaged soil. (The bags labeled 1cubic foot or approx. 25 dry quarts.
Sometimes they sell on special at 5 bags for $10.

Since I’m a visual person I went to the topsoil place to eye ball what a cubic yard of dirt actually looked like.

1/2 yard =1 LEVEL bobcat scoop.
Full yard = 1 heaping scoop.

Average cost in my area:$36/cubic yard.

Maybe you’re wondering how far would a cubic yard of soil go?

Answer: It would fill a 4 ft x 8 ft raised bed.

Delivery is where they get you if you don’t have your own truck.
$49 / per delivery!

I wanted to get 6 cubic yards but DH almost fell over about the cost of that so we settled on 3 and then spent most of the weekend moving it from our driveway into the backyard.
Here’s what that looks like when it got dumped.
Not all that much.
But in reality it was a good twenty-five or more wheelbarrows full.
The square it’s sitting on is a car’s length and width. *Neighbors car for reference. Lol

Honestly wish I’d gotten more. Like the 6 cubic yards I wanted in the first place. We have a lot of places that need leveling out in the back yard to attempt to get grass growing again.




Things to consider when buying topsoil :

Where did it come from?

You do NOT want a shrug as an answer!
They know where they got it from and shouldn’t mind telling you.

If it came from a local construction area -that’s fine- BUT NOT from a road widening project!

The probability of the soil being contaminated with heavy metals is too great.

It’s toxic. And you can’t get it out of your land EVER unless it’s dug out -as in with a back hoe.

Also a lot of places are happy to sell you a “mix” of topsoil with some kind of compost.

Here it’s turkey compost.

But the guy couldn’t answer my more specific questions such as:

Turkey poop or carcasses?
Answer: wow. I couldn’t tell ya.
How long has it been composting?
Answer: uh, it came in about a month ago

So I just got the plain topsoil that came from 4 miles away where they built two huge retaining ponds next to the home depot and staples store.

How am I supposed to work with those guesses about the “turkey compost” though?

Could I potentially bring in a poultry disease and kill my chickens?

Would the ammonia levels be so high that it would just burn the roots of anything I planted?

Is it contaminated with pesticides or antibiotics or who knows what?

As far as “steer” manure from a store...
In my area there’s a product available at all the big box places, it originates from Florida I think.

It’s called BLACK KOW
they also have BLACK HEN

I like it. It’s not terribly expensive and it seems to work well.

Also I always recommend copious amounts of Epsom salt (magnesium) and ground egg shells (calcium obviously) I’ve been saving eggshells all winter.
I’ll have to ask @rjohns39 agsin for his recipe, because I think he suggests lime as well.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I have a wine fridge that I'm going to use for mine.


Morning all

Wine fridges are for WINE rj....

@Smuvers Farm what about “ringleader” LOL

I sure hope so @rjohns39 . I’m not sure where my chickens went. These body snatchers that took their place need to go.

I adore *ringleader*!!! that's damn near perfect!


First day of spring and it looks like taters outside. No snow, but terribly MOIST. At least I know the 3 raised beds are getting their rain. Need to get some azomite out there on them (thanks Cappy!)


Seven is still rocking and peeping, so I am laying bets that's the one who'll hatch first.